Neighborhood revolt in Nou Barris against an electrical transformer in the basement of a building

Barcelona"It still smells like it's burning," says Meritxell López, pointing from the street to the wall behind which sits the electrical transformer that, for the past two months, has had much of the Prosperitat neighborhood up in arms. The equipment, located on the ground floor of a building on Palamós Street, was set on fire on September 22nd. The residents are still shaken. And so are the problems. The transformer still can't be repaired due to a conflict between the neighborhood and Endesa, and the emergency solutions implemented by the company can't handle the area's energy demands. Last weekend, in the middle of a cold snap, there were constant power outages, some lasting between five and seven hours.

The generator served buildings on up to eight blocks in the neighborhood, and the banners hanging from many balconies in the area make the reason for the conflict clear. After the fire, the residents don't want the transformer replaced. They want it gone. "What if it happens again?" asks López, president of the Prosperidad Neighborhood Association. To justify their concerns, she shows images from the day of the fire, with a column of black smoke climbing the building's facade while explosions can be heard inside the room housing the transformer. In a conversation with ARA, López emphasizes that the space where the electrical equipment is located is small and too close to the apartments. "They can't put the transformer back in a pressure cooker," she maintains.

Sources at Endesa maintain that the installation is safe and that the fire was an accident caused by maintenance work. The company claims that misfortune caused the fire and rendered the equipment unusable when a garment with a manufacturing defect was placed inside. They emphasize that there are over 7,000 similar electrical substations distributed throughout the city without causing any problems.

"Precarious" situation

While the dispute between residents and the company is being resolved, the transformer remains out of service, and emergency solutions have been implemented. First, an external generator was used, but it too proved problematic, frequently running out of diesel fuel. This generator eventually broke down as well and had to be replaced with another one that residents complain made an unbearable noise. Finally, Endesa opted to reconfigure the network, connecting residents in the area who previously depended on the Palamós Street substation to other transformers. However, with the arrival of cold weather, these transformers have also been unable to handle the overload.

"Last weekend we had power outages practically every day, some lasting up to seven hours," complains Paco, a resident of the same building where the transformer is located. He says that many elderly people live in the area, some with mobility issues who suffer if the elevator breaks down, and others, like himself, who need to be connected to machines for health reasons. There's a nursing home right on the corner of Palamós Street.

Sources at Endesa admit that during peak consumption periods, such as during cold spells, the power supply suffers. "Currently, the network in this area of the Nou Barris district is in a precarious state, and it will remain so until they allow us to replace the transformer," they warn. The problem is that Endesa can only access the room where the broken transformer is located through a hatch in the sidewalk, but it's too small to fit a new transformer, and they need to be able to bring the machinery in through the vehicle repair shop next door.

Jordi Marqués manages the workshop, which is overflowing with cars that would have to be moved to make room for the machinery. He remembers how the explosions on the day of the fire made the wall next to the transformer shake, as it reached temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. If the residents' association doesn't agree with reinstalling the transformer, he says, he must respect their decision. He also emphasizes the costs the entire operation would entail for his business, as the workshop would have to be cleared of vehicles and closed.

The City Council's mediation

Faced with the deadlock, the City Council has decided to intervene. At the last Economy Committee meeting, the municipal government accepted a request from Junts per Barcelona urging it to open a direct line of communication with residents and ensure a resolution to the conflict. Sources from the Nou Barris district emphasize that the council is mediating in "a conflict between private parties" and hopes that "it will be resolved as soon as possible," ensuring that the neighborhood has access to all available information and that the company guarantees the electricity supply and the safety of the facilities. In fact, a first meeting took place last week. However, the residents remain defiant, with nightly pot-banging protests and a demonstration planned for Tuesday.